The future is Fusion - AMD's

[apoppin]

http://www.amd.com/us/fusion/Pages/index.aspx

some links go up and down

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/...md-pushes-magic-button

Fusion, AMD says, is the ?working philosophy that marries innovation with collaboration?, which is PR blather for ?AMD is going to work with other people?.

But to go along with the ginormous ad campaign and PR hype, AMD obviously felt it should have something to show for all this ?fusion? business. And that would be an app in the form of an on screen button.

Making a whooshing sound when clicked, the button ? AMD?s Fusion for Gaming Utility - shuts down background apps so Vista users can play games faster. Yep. That?s it. No big CPU/GPU design after all, just a glorified ?standby mode? button.

In what could just as well have been called ?overclocking for dummies? ? AMD prefers the term ?overclocking on demand? ? the firm has basically created something which freezes background apps like skype, while you play Chrysis. Wow. We have seen the fusion future, and it is dull.

they GOT to be kidding
:roll:

that is what $5bn gets you in an acquisition?
- unless it is *misdirection* on AMD's part

 

[MarcVenice]

What what what? I'm totally lost? The ad sais: You though Fusion was the coming together of a CPU and a GPU on a single chip, but it's much more then that. ( perhaps slightly diff words were used )

So fusion = cpu + gpu on a single die. And more ...

This fusion application is just something from Fusion, that's being used a brandname? I think the inq is just being very ignorant and dumb... So watch the add first, and then discuss ...

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: MarcVenice
What what what? I'm totally lost? The ad sais: You though Fusion was the coming together of a CPU and a GPU on a single chip, but it's much more then that. ( perhaps slightly diff words were used )

So fusion = cpu + gpu on a single die. And more ...

This fusion application is just something from Fusion, that's being used a brandname? I think the inq is just being very ignorant and dumb... So watch the add first, and then discuss ...

i think AMD is trying to keep their "Fusion" name up in front of the tech public. That is all, imo and this is a cheap campaign
[it looks cheap]
-They didn't do their marketing presentation very well

But now you can watch for it on AMD's site; i guess theInq got the preview as an AMD "fansite"

i am heading to work .. i imagine we will see more credible news released from AMD itself. But it SUX if it only works with AMD CPUs + GPUs [on a AMD MB also?]

 

[AmberClad]

There's an article on the main AT homepage about this (yes, I know some of us never wander outside of our AT forums cave to see what's actually happening with AT itself...).

This stood out:

One of the major features of this software is that it automatically overclocks both the CPU and the GPU. Because of this, AMD will only allow the tool to run on all-AMD platforms, meaning that people who run AMD GPUs on Intel CPUs and AMD CPUs with NVIDIA GPUs will not be able to benefit from this applications.

So this only seems to apply to people using both an AMD video card and an AMD CPU...for gaming. I wonder what percentage of people this applies to.

Shouldn't this be called SpiderTool or something?

 

[JACKDRUID]

very nice tool for gamers.

stupidity on AMD's part to only allow it to run on all-amd hardware. if they had allowed it to run on any system, it would be a big/cheap advertisement for them.

 

[v8envy]

Wow, glad to see AMD is properly prioritizing R&D dollars here.

I noticed a trend about previously successful firms realizing they're in trouble -- marketing goes into overdrive, throwing all sorts of intelligence-insulting fluff out based on the premise that the customer base is dumber than a bag of rocks and if we can just put our brand in front of them enough times they'll start buying madly.

I hope this is a joke.

 

[imported_apocalypse]

Seems like a tool that tries to enable everyday gamers to be computer enthusiasts, haha. How many of them run AMD CPU/GPU anyway?

Seriously though, it looks useless for most users on AT, who overclock manually anyway and don't run junk pre-installed crapware. Quad core and plenty of ram takes care of even that in most cases..

 

[v8envy]

Originally posted by: ap0calypse
Seems like a tool that tries to enable everyday gamers to be computer enthusiasts, haha. How many of them run AMD CPU/GPU anyway?

Several anandtechers have Spider platforms; actually. Anyone can get an intel rig and dial it to 11, it's a badge of pride to tweak the underdog into usefulness.

The biggest problem: it's a combination of Vista32, AMD CPU + GPU. The total number of people running 32 bit vista, AMD CPU and enthusiast video cards has to be approximately 0.

I can't help but wonder if you have to click through a 'UR VOIDING ALL UR WARRANTIEZ' to use the tool eliminating the remaining target audience -- Gateway or HP from Best Buy customers hoping for their Fisher Price My First Overclock. And if not, what AMD's liability is once all the early Phenoms detonate the 780G micro-atx motherboards and/or anemic OEM power supplies.

 

[myocardia]

This is the saddest thing I've ever seen, from any company. Wonder if this is AMD's death knell? It's sure starting to seem like it. Hey, maybe they'll be able to survive after Henry Ruin, like Motorola did. Sure, they'll be a nobody in the business world, like Motorola has been since Henry Ruin left them on the verge of bankruptcy, but at least they won't be "the company formerly known as AMD".

 

[WT]

The total number of people running 32 bit vista, AMD CPU and enthusiast video cards has to be approximately 0.

There's one ... there's always one ... he just hasn't read this thread yet. If he doesn't show up by this weekend, I shall volunteer to convert one of my rigs to be that guy.

 

[imported_apocalypse]

Originally posted by: v8envy

Several anandtechers have Spider platforms; actually. Anyone can get an intel rig and dial it to 11, it's a badge of pride to tweak the underdog into usefulness.

The biggest problem: it's a combination of Vista32, AMD CPU + GPU. The total number of people running 32 bit vista, AMD CPU and enthusiast video cards has to be approximately 0.

I meant not a lot of average gamers having both CPU & GPU by AMD. The spider platform, I have not seen a lot of mainstream marketing for, and for big retailers again there are only a few computers having such configuration.

I didn't even see the 32bit vista only part. Yea, just about kills what little chance this app had.


I guess this is a marketing attempt to boost the image of the Fusion brand for when the CPU/GPU unified chip is finally released. A poorly thought out attempt though.

 

[thilanliyan]

This isn't the actual Fusion chip...just some useful software....especially the "kill Vista" switch.

 

[Genx87]

hahaha I hope that article is wrong. Otherwise AMD just became a parody company.

 

[nitromullet]

Does the software require a Spider platform (CPU, GPU, and chipset), or is it just CPU + GPU?

 

[taltamir]

AMD just decided to extend "fusion" from the combining of a CPU and GPU (btw, check out the second gen larabee design by intel... its the same thing! and might be available first)
They named their new overclocking tool fusion -it combines their CPU oc tool, their GPU oc tool, and a new tool to auto shutdown background services and turn then back on with one click... aka, get your vista down to win 2k with DX10. Oh, and it is only for people with spider...
They listed 3 other technologies down there as part of fusion:
- Lower power CPUs
- Rain recording (their home recording studio)
- OTOY (I think that is basically spider)

Basically AMD decided fusion would be the fusion of their ads and trademarks property... advertise fusion instead of different technologies, and just say fusion means "anything new from AMD"

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: JACKDRUID
very nice tool for gamers.

stupidity on AMD's part to only allow it to run on all-amd hardware. if they had allowed it to run on any system, it would be a big/cheap advertisement for them.

agreed

this is something we gamers have been begging Microsoft to do for all of us
- but they are too arrogant to consider it

what i AM glad about is that Nvidia will no doubt do the very same thing

--then maybe MS can fix their broken OS for PC gaming

 

[WT]

So apoppin .. you don't see this 'Games for Windows' initiative doing what MS expected it to do ??
:laugh:

MS Live Anywhere was one of the main reasons I upgraded to Vista .. and what a joke it was !! Two lousy games that didn't amount to squat, and that's what they call a product push ??

I've seen the death of PC gaming discussion roll around at least once every year, and MS and XBox Live have more to do with how poorly PC gaming is doing than anything else. They first need to convince the average consumer that integrated video is not the way its meant to be played (sorry for bothering that line, Nv).


Then they need to put a quality title at the forefront of the push to use MS Live Anywhere as the app of choice. Steam beat them to the punch, and they did it quite easily as well. I wish AMD all the luck with this one, but it seems like the smaller shops are better suited to help the gamer (Valve, specifically) when MS and AMD just don't seem to get it when it comes to PC gamers.

 

[taltamir]

www.stardock.com

PC gaming is alive and well, stupid obsolete companies are dying and getting replaced by new ones who move with the times. (just like netflix superceded blockbuster, who is dying; and virgin records? stick a fork in them done.)

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: WT
So apoppin .. you don't see this 'Games for Windows' initiative doing what MS expected it to do ??
:laugh:

MS Live Anywhere was one of the main reasons I upgraded to Vista .. and what a joke it was !! Two lousy games that didn't amount to squat, and that's what they call a product push ??

I've seen the death of PC gaming discussion roll around at least once every year, and MS and XBox Live have more to do with how poorly PC gaming is doing than anything else. They first need to convince the average consumer that integrated video is not the way its meant to be played (sorry for bothering that line, Nv).


Then they need to put a quality title at the forefront of the push to use MS Live Anywhere as the app of choice. Steam beat them to the punch, and they did it quite easily as well. I wish AMD all the luck with this one, but it seems like the smaller shops are better suited to help the gamer (Valve, specifically) when MS and AMD just don't seem to get it when it comes to PC gamers.

MS is mostly insane
"a house divided cannot stand"


they *claim* they want PC gaming to do well but then they have a cruddy x-box console to compete with it
- which competes with it *only* because they hold back PC gaming


it is good to see AMD take some initiative .. it will push Nvidia .. and ultimately MS
--i share the Devs vision someday when DX10 and DX11 are tossed in the dustbin for some universal pc game coding that bypasses Microsoft completely

 

[soccerballtux]

Hm...reminds me of synergy.

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Hm...reminds me of synergy.

sounds familiar, can you refresh my memory?

 

[apoppin]

http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/

that is the only one i heard about


MS needs to put the OS into "gaming mode" - where ALL the resources are devoted 100% to gaming and the rest of the processes hibernate

 

[nyker96]

this is just marketing soup, don't say anything technical. what it means "make the world a better place to live ..." meaningless marketing slogans.

 

[BFG10K]

A utility that shuts down services during gaming, services which likely don't have any impact anyway.

Wow, I hope AMD have something better planned for Fusion. :roll:

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: apoppin
http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/

that is the only one i heard about


MS needs to put the OS into "gaming mode" - where ALL the resources are devoted 100% to gaming and the rest of the processes hibernate

Gaming mode wouldn't do anything significant. I've used Vista for nearly 2 years now, Vista's own background processes context switch out nicely and stay down.